Week 15 Matchups
After the week 14 disaster, many people will be looking to help push their team into the Championship. I am going to try my best to help you with your roster decisions. I will be going through each game, highlighting poor and favorable matchups. Depending on how well this article goes, I may use this more next season.
I do apologize for not having a week 14 article. I had every intention to do so but only had about half of it done while I was out of town for my birthday. I don't want to put out content that doesn't reflect my best work.
I am going to highlight most fantasy relevant matchup for each of these games. I hope this will help get a better perspective into your players. My goal is to help you guys start the right guys so we all can make it to the Championship. I will go in order in which the games will be played. Good luck to everyone this week! I will have my updated rankings out shortly after this is posted.
Houston Texans vs. New York Jets
Starting with the Texans side, fire up DeShaun Watson in a plus matchup. He is a top 12 QB for me this week. He has multiple touchdowns in 3 of his last 4 games. He also is getting you some points on the ground, averaging 45 yards in the last 3 games. I am not afraid of this Jets defense. I do think they may be more run heavy in this game. Lamar Miller is a fantastic play. The Jets have given up 7 rushing touchdowns in the last 7 games. This team gives up on average 23 carries per game. Miller has been on fire as of late, having four 100 yard games in the last seven. He also had at least 15 touches in 5 of his last 7 games. If he gets a similar workload, he should have a great day. With DeAndre Hopkins, there isn't much to it. Start him no matter what. There is no one on this Jets defense that will be able to keep up with him. He is my WR1 for this week. I am a little down on Demaryius Thomas this week as he has failed to have over 50 receiving yards this year. He is only averaging 5 targets in his last 3 games. He may draw coverage from Trumaine Johnson who has been fairly good this year. He is only allowing a 55.0 passer rating on throws that he defends. I'd look to sit Thomas for better options. Make sure to get Keke Coutee out of your lineup. He did not travel with the team and will be out.
New York Jets: There isn't really much that interests me about this offense this week. The Texans have been one of the top defenses this year and have played lights out in recent weeks. Sam Darnold should probably only be started in 2QB leagues. There should be much better options out there. He hasn't had a game with multiple passing touchdowns since week 6 and I don't think he breaks that streak on Saturday. Isaiah Crowell has been ruled out for this game, leaving Elijah McGuire to step up once again. He filled in for Crowell last week and finished his day with 20 total touches. He will be strictly a RB3 volume play as the Texans are only allowing 3.3 yards per carry this year. The one player that does entice me is Robby Anderson. The Texans corners are susceptible to giving up huge WR games as of late. The have allowed TY Hilton to go 9-199, Jarvis Landry for 6-103, Rishad Higgins for 4-62-1, and Cory Davis to get 4-96-1 (Catches,Yards,Touchdowns). That is in the past 4 weeks. He has 14 targets in the last two games and should be a factor in this one. Chris Herdon, as said in my waiver wire column, is my dart throw TE this week. After the top 12 guys, it gets messy. The Texans have allowed 4 TD to the TE position in the last 5 games. It is a place that opposing teams can attack. With Enuwa out, Herdon has a shot to have a solid day.
Cleveland Browns vs. Denver Broncos
Cleveland Browns: Since the firing of both the head coach and offensive coordinator, the Browns have looked pretty decent. This is defiantly a game that I could see them winning. Baker Mayfield has also improved drastically from his NFL debut. The Broncos have been declining as of late, with the amount of injuries they have sustained. In the last 6 games, the Broncos have allowed 12 passing touchdowns. He could end up being a solid streamer this week. The real star of this team lately has been Nick Chubb. He has 7 touchdowns in his last 5 games. I think he has entered matchup-proof territory. With his massive touch-count, he is still a must start even against this great Broncos run defense. As I said above, the Broncos are hurting with injuries. One of those includes slot corner Chris Harris Jr. Recently, this area is where teams have been attacking and finding success. In the last three games there have been big games from George Kittle (7-210-1), Tyler Boyd (6-97), and Juju Smith-Schuster (13-189-1). All three guys operate mainly out of the slot. This week Jarvis Landry gets to attempt to join the party. He had a nice game last week and it could translate to this one as well. Another place to attack this team is using the TE. David Njoku should be played in most situations. He is a low-end TE1 for me this week. There really isn't much options on the waiver wire so stick with the talent. Last week Kittle dominated the Broncos as stated above.
Denver Broncos: I'm really only interested in about 2 players from this team this week and will get to them shortly. Case Keenum isn't one of them. He has failed to throw for over 200 yards in each of his last two games. He even had two amazing matchups. Considering he hasn't thrown for over 300 yards since week 6, I'm not touching him. One guy I really like this week is Philip Lindsay. He did have a down game last week only gaining 30 rushing yards. Even with that game, he is averaging 88.7 yards since week 7. The Browns have given up the 2nd most rushing touchdowns and are allowing 4.70 yards per carry. Start up Lindsay if you have him. Courtland Sutton has been a huge disappointment recently. I thought he was going to ball out with how easy their schedule has been. This week he is hitting my bench. Browns star corner Denzel Ward, should be returning this week. I expect Ward to shadow Sutton. With only 13 catches in his last 5 games, there is no reason to start Sutton. The second guy I like this week is DaeSean Hamilton. He came through last week catching 7 passes for 47 yards and a touchdown. He is a better PPR play in this one. The slot is a nice place to attack this Browns defense and I expect Keenum to do just that.
Oakland Raiders vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Oakland Raiders: I think this passing offense can shine this week. Derek Carr has had a solid last 2 games. In those games, he has thrown for 607 yards and 5 touchdowns. As I have said all year, the Bengals have a terrible all around defense. The are still giving up the 2nd most FPPG to QB this season. Carr is a decent streamer and a nice tournament play in DFS. Both Doug Martin and Jalen Richard may find some success in this one. I'm putting my money on Martin. He has 13 total redzone carries in the last three weeks. That is just insane. He gets the bulk of the carries this week and could be a solid flex play. Richard on the other hand, hasn't been getting enough work in the passing game for me to be able to start him. Both backs carry upside. Derek Carr has to throw to someone right? Jordy Nelson is my second favorite pass catcher in this game. He is a risk play with how up and down his season is, but over the last 2 weeks he has 18 targets. If Carr continues to perform, so will Nelson. I have him as a WR4 this week. Jared Cook is my favorite guy on this week. I'd start him everywhere. He has back to back 100 yard games. He seems to be Carr's favorite target. The Bengals have given up the 4th most FPPG and the 2nd most touchdowns to TE's this year.
Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals have been fairly underwhelming recently. Jeff Driskel continues to step in for Andy Dalton, but should go nowhere near your lineup. I expect this team to lean on the ground game. I like Joe Mixon to have a huge game in this one. I am playing him in almost all of my DFS lineups. It a fantastic matchup, as the Raiders have given up 152 rushing yards per game over the last 3. He is a Stud and needs to be started everywhere. I know I'm not alone on this one but I also like Tyler Boyd in this game. Since week 8, he is averaging 7.8 targets a game. There is a risk that they won't throw as much, but Boyd is the number one target on this team. It's a gut feeling but I think he has a nice one here. I'm a little less optimistic with John Ross, though he can easily break a huge touchdown on any play. The Raiders have given up 14 yards per reception this year. That could set up a few long balls for Ross. If you are desperate, C.J. Uzomah may be usable in this game. He is getting enough targets to be able to stream him. The Raiders have been the worst team against opposing TE.
Arizona Cardinals vs Atlanta Falcons
Arizona Cardinals: I really don't like the outlook for this team this week. Josh Rosen hasn't done anything great this season and I wouldn't even think about starting him. He hasn't topped 250 passing yards this season and hasn't thrown a touchdown in the last 2 games. The one guy I would be willing to start is David Johnson. He has averaged 19.5 touches since week 8. He had 8 total catches last week and with that much work in the passing game, this sets up a nice matchup for him. No team has allowed more RB catches in the past 3 years than the Falcons. They are also allowing over 5 yards a carry in the last 5 weeks. He has been up and down most of the season, but I like him in this one. I get if you have to start Larry Fitzgerald, I just wouldn't expect much. He has failed to have over 60 yards in 5 straight games, and 11 out of the last 12. He needs a touchdown to be startable. Proceed with caution.
Atlanta Falcons: I think this team could have a hard time this week against a surprisingly decent Cardinals defense. Now I am not completely off of this team as there are a few solid plays. Unless you have a better option, check my rankings, I'd start Matt Ryan. I would however lower expectations. The Cardinals have not allowed a team to post a top 10 QB performance this season. He has been good as of late throwing multiple touchdowns in 4 of his last 6 games. Julio Jones is a must start, even in a matchup against Patrick Peterson. He is just too good of a player to bench. It is the playoffs, no reason to get cute now. I do like the matchups of both Calvin Ridley and Mohamed Sanu. Personally I am leaning to Ridley having the blow-up type of performance. We have seen in the past when Julio draws a tough matchup, one of these two guys step up. I do expect Ryan to have a decent game here, which should benefit these pass catchers.
Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears
Green Bay Packers: This team has not been what we expected. It may not even have been the head coach. Aaron Rodgers didn't look great last week, even after the firing of Mike McCarthy. I'd look else where this week if you have Rodgers. If you haven't seen this Bears defense at work, check Jared Goff's stats last week. With how bad Rodgers has been and how well this defense has played, I really wouldn't want to start Rodgers this week. Aaron Jones has continued to lead this backfield in touches week after week. Now, it will be a tough matchup as the Bears have yet to allow a team to rush for over 98 yards this season. I do think he gets enough touches to give you low end RB2 numbers this week. A guy you should not be benching is Davante Adams. He has been a top 5 WR all season long. He is matchup proof and Rodgers will need to feed him the ball. In his last two games against the Bears, he has scored in both. On the other side, Randall Cobb has came to life a little the past few weeks. The Bears will be without their nickel corner, who would be covering Cobb in this game. Over the last two weeks he has 11 targets. Cobb is a WR3 for me this week. A pass catcher I'm not a fan of is Jimmy Graham. He has been held to under 35 yards in 4 of his last 5 games. He just isn't involved in this offense. The Bears are one of the best teams against the TE this year. No TE has been able to get over 50 yards against them this season. I am looking elsewhere if I can this week.
Chicago Bears: I am not expecting a huge game from Mitch Trubisky, but he could very well prove me wrong. He has failed to throw for over 200 yards and multiple touchdowns in 2 straight games. Your hoping he can get you some rushing yards. He is still a must start in 2QB leagues. The RB situation has been back and forth all year. I like Tarik Cohen over Jordan Howard, but I think both are decent plays this week. Cohen has 23 catches in the last 3 games. He is the better PPR play. Howard on the other hand, has looked decent recently. With 35 carries in the last 2 games. He could be a nice flex play this week if he continues to get this workload. Allen Robinson has the toughest matchup this week, but he could very well over come it. He is a little too risky for me to start in the playoffs unless you don't have better options. His play solely relies on how good Trubisky is in this game. Taylor Gabriel may be the safer play if you are looking to play a WR from this team. He does have two straight down games, but he has maintained a solid target share this year. I wouldn't play him in standard, as he has scored in just one game this year. Another guy I am not a fan of this week is Trey Burton. He only has 7 catches in the last 4 games. He has as much upside as some of the guys you can pickup on the waiver wire. The Packers are also great against the TE, giving up the least FPPG against TE this year.
Detroit Lions vs. Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions: There really aren't many guys on this team that I would be willing to start. I want nothing to do with Matthew Stafford this week. He has been awful lately, and he shouldn't hit most lineups this week. He is averaging only 10 FPPG over the last 4 games. This defense has allowed the 5th fewest passing touchdowns this year. I really don't want anything to do with the RB situation either. It is too messy. I wouldn't think about starting LeGarrette Blount, as his touches has decreased over the last 3 weeks. Zach Zenner has looked like the better RB out of this bunch. He took 12 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown last week. Theo Riddick is a desperation RB3 play in PPR leagues. The only guy I would be ok putting out there would be Kenny Golladay. I have no problem benching him for a better option this week. This defense has allowed the fewest yards to the WR this year. I'm expecting Tre'Davious White to shadow Golladay all game long. This is a terrible matchup against a great shutdown corner and the low pass volume could hurt his outlook. White has yet to allow a WR to have over 80 yards against him this year.
Buffalo Bills: This team has been fairly decent as of late. That comes to the success of Josh Allen. He has been a top 5 fantasy QB over the last 3 weeks. This does have to do with him rushing for an NFL record 321 yards over the last 3 games. Weirdly enough, the Lions have given up the least amount of rushing yards to the QB at 62 yards. He does have the upside that allows him to rush for over 100 yards and still throw for 2 touchdowns. I like him as a nice streamer this week, but he does come with some risk. There isn't many options that I like from this team. Chris Ivory isn't one of them. LeSean McCoy should be out for this game, leaving Ivory to handle the workload. Since the Lions traded for Damion Harrison, their rush defense has played lights out. They are allowed just 3.7 yards per carry in the last 5 games. I wouldn't be playing Ivory this week. A guy I do like this week is Zay Jones. He did bust against a Jets team, who is awful against slot WR. He gets a second chance this week as the weak spot in this lions defense is the slot. I am expecting his targets to be fairly high as they will be struggling to run the ball.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Baltimore Ravens
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I am tempering my exceptions for this entire team this week. This Ravens defense is great, and should give this whole team some trouble. Jameis Winston has thrown for multiple touchdowns in his last 4 games. I don't expect that this week. This defense has held all but 2 QB to under 275 yards all year. They allow the 4th lowest FPPG and touchdowns to opposing QB. This defense is also great against the run. I wouldn't want to play Peyton Barber in this matchup. He has got a ton of volume, but has not hit over 50 rushing yards since week 11. I don't think the streak ends this week. The Ravens have allowed the 2nd fewest FPPG and rushing yards all year. You will most likely be stuck with starting Mike Evans this week, but I get the panic. He has had at least 85 yards in 3 of his last 4 games. This is a tough matchup as Evans should be shadowed by Jimmy Smith. Smith has allowed, on average, 24.6 yards over the last 5 games. This team will need to throw, so I still like Evans chances of having a decent game. With the other pass catching options, I would rather start Adam Humphries over Chris Godwin. As I said above, this is a great defense. They are allowing the 3rd fewest FPPG and yards this year, along with the 2nd fewest touchdowns to the WR position. One spot this team can attack is the matchup with Adam Humphries. He should see Tavon Young who has given up the highest passer rating out of the teams corners. You are really hoping for a touchdown from any of these guys. One guy I am perfectly fine with starting this week is Cameron Brate. He is a huge redzone threat and Winston loves him. The Ravens actually aren't that great defending the TE. They have allowed the 7th most yards and the 9th most fantasy points per game.
Baltimore Ravens: This team has been decent with Lamar Jackson in at QB. I actually like him a lot this week. He is averaging 83 rushing yards per game over the last 4. His rushing ability helps him maintain a solid floor. He still has yet to throw for over 200 yards, but I think this week he does it. The Buccaneers defense is one that has been picked on all year. They have given up the 5th most FPPG and passing yards this season. There has been a sudden change in the RB usage with Kenneth Dixon returning. He played just 8 fewer snaps than Gus Edwards in this game. I do like this rushing attack in this game, as the Buccs are an overall bad defense. I think Gus will still lead the team in touches, but Dixon will be the better play in PPR leagues. Edwards is not involved in the passing game at all. I wouldn't surprise me if Dixon is the better play in this game. I don't really like any of the pass catchers in this game. If I had to pick one I may go John Brown due to his big play ability. Both Brown and Micheal Crabtree have seen a decline since Jackson has came in at QB. There just isn't enough passing volume to go around. Crabtree doesn't have much upside, but he is still the safer play.
Tennessee Titans vs. New York Giants
Tennessee Titans: This team is riding a two game win streak and had been playing pretty well lately. This is correlated to Marcus Mariota. If you take out last week, where he didn't have to throw really at all, he has 250+ passing yards and multiple touchdowns in back to back games. I think they may stick with the rushing game in this one, but I like Mariota's chances to have a decent game against average pass defense. If they do stick to the rushing game, Derrick Henry could be a solid play. He is nothing more than a low end RB2 for me this week. Don't expect another 4TD performance. Since the team traded away Damon Harrison, they have given up 4.7 yards per carry. This run defense has really struggled lately. He isn't the ideal PPR play, but should hit most rosters in standard. The PPR play would still be Dion Lewis, although I'm not too excited about him. I probably wouldn't be starting him in most situations. The Giants have been decent against pass catching RB. On the receiving side, Corey Davis could have a decent game. He should avoid Janoris Jenkins if he stays on the left side, as Jenkins stays on the right. The LCB has given up 12 yards per reception this year. Davis has the talent to blow up in this game, but could struggle with Mariota's inefficiency. I think Taywan Taylor could have a solid PPR game as well. Over his last 2 games he has 9 catches for 163 yards. He will need to rely on a high volume in order to have a decent game. He will be seeing more of Jenkins in this one, so he will need overcome this matchup. He is more of a WR4 play for me.
New York Giants: I actually like a few guys from this team this week. Eli Manning is a ok play. I like his pass catching options more, but if I like them, I have to somewhat like him. He has failed to throw for over 200 yards in back to back games, but last week he was able to throw for 3 touchdowns. I would still look elsewhere. Saquon Barkley on the other hand is a must play. He has 4 straight games with over 100 rushing yards and is constantly involved in the passing game. He is my overall RB3 on the week. With Odell Beckham out this week, I like Sterling Shepard to fill in just nicely in this matchup. The Titans have been mediocre against outside WR. Now he didn't take advantage of OBJ absence last week, but he did have a bad matchup. This week is a lot easier as he may see a bunch of Malcolm Butler. He should have a decent floor and is a nice fill in if you had OBJ. The other pass catcher I like in this game is Evan Engram. He should see more work with OBJ out. Now, it is a difficult matchup as the Titans have given up the second fewest FPPG to TE this year. I just think volume will over come this. He actually had 77 yards last week and has big play ability. I would be rolling him out this week.
Miami Dolphins vs Minnesota Vikings
Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill has been great in his last three games, throwing 8 total touchdowns. I think he has a rough game in this one. I think the Vikings are recharged, and the offense will hype the defense up. It is a gut call but I really wouldn't want to rely on the Tannehill in the fantasy playoffs. He is a nice play in 2QB leagues. Looking at the running game, it is a mess. I really wouldn't be starting any of these guys. Kenyan Drake will give you a big play risk/reward play if you have the gut to actually play him. I don't. The Vikings have given up the 4th fewest FPPG and the second fewest TD to the RB position. DeVante Parker has seen a nice amount of targets recently, but I don't want to play him in this game. He will be matched-up with shutdown corner Xavier Rhodes. This team has allowed the 5th fewest fantasy points to WR this year. He shouldn't hit any lineups. If you had to force me to start a Dolphins WR it would be Kenny Stills. I wouldn't feel good about it, but he does have 15 targets since Tannehill has returned. Overall I want nothing to do with this team against the Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings: I like this team to bounce back this week. I fully trust Kirk Cousins in this matchup. The Dolphins are not a team to be afraid of. They should also be without their shutdown corner Xavien Howard, which will help this receiving core. The Dolphins have given up the 9th most fantasy points and the 5th most touchdowns to QB this season. Like I said, I like this team alot this week. That also includes Dalvin Cook. I have him as a top 10 play this week and would start him wherever you have him. The Dolphins have given up the 8th most fantasy points and the 4th most rushing yards to runningbacks. Cook's work in the passing game could lead him to have a huge day. I love both Stefan Diggs and Adam Thielen in this game. Not like you weren't planning on starting them, but they need to be in your lineup. As I said with Cousins, this is a bad pass defense and both should feast in this plus matchup. I have been down on Kyle Rudolph all year, but this week I'm ok with starting him. I still don't like it, but the Dolphins have been awful against the TE. They have allowed 8 top-15 TE performances this year. He is a stream-able piece this week.
Washington Redskins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Washington Redskins: I am also not a fan of really starting anyone in this game. I will go over a few guys but honestly keep them out of your lineup. This is one of the lower over/under games on the slate. Josh Johnson will be taking over as QB for the Redskins. I don't expect much from him. The Jaguars have given up the 7th fewest fantasy points and the least passing touchdowns on the year. I don't even really like Adrian Peterson in this game. He is really only a play in standard scoring leagues. He was held to just 16 yards against a bad Giants defense, so I don't think he will find much success. Chris Thompson would be the better play out of the two if he is able to get some targets. Overall it's a good run defense and I would be hesitant to start either guy. The only WR I would look at in this game is Jamison Crowder, but even then I wouldn't think of starting him. He should avoid Jalen Ramsey in this game, but still is nothing more than a WR5 this week. Really the only player I would be interested in from this team is Vernon Davis. Jordan Reed won't play in this game, which leaves Davis open to stream. It is a tough matchup, but I think Johnson will lean on Davis.
Jacksonville Jaguars: This is just a bad game to cover honestly. There are only two players I would even think about starting in this entire game. Cody Kessler is not one of them. I don't think Kessler will throw enough to even warrant a start in 2QB leagues this week. He has yet to throw for multiple touchdowns. The guy I would start this week would be Leonard Fournette. I would not be surprised if he had 20+ rushes in this game. I think this team will try to grind out a win and let their defense take over. The Redskins are a middling defense against the RB, but I don't see Fournette having any problems. I really don't want to talk about these pass catchers but I'll throw in my favorite out of the bunch. Donte Moncief should be the best bet to produce in this game. He saw 10 targets last week but wasn't effective. His success will come when he avoids Josh Norman.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Indianapolis Colts
Dallas Cowboys: I think this game is going to be a great one. I expect a ton of scoring from both sides of the ball. Dak Prescott has been great since the Amari Cooper trade. He has multiple passing touchdowns in 2 out of his last 3 games. The Colts do have a decent pass defense, but like I said I expect a lot of points to be put up. As for the rushing game, Ezekiel Elliott is a must start as always. The Colts have given up the 4th fewest TD this year. That doesn't matter when your RB gets 40 total touches in a game. Start up Zeke and don't look back. Amari Cooper is a must start this week as well. He has 5 touchdowns in the last 3 games. He also has two games with at least 180 yards. It has been unbelievable how well he plays in this offense. The Colts have given up the 5th fewest fantasy points to opposing WR, but I still see Cooper having a nice game. I even like Michael Gallup as a sneaky play this week. He needs to get the volume, but he has nice big play ability. I think he has a few deep shots thrown his way. They just need to connect.
Indianapolis Colts: As I said above, I think this is a high scoring game. This would mean that Andrew Luck should find some success. I am still rolling him out there even in a tough matchup. The Cowboys have been one of the better defenses as of late. Andrew Luck is just to good of a QB to pass. He had a terrible matchup against the Texans last week and still had 399 yards and 2 touchdowns. The one guy I am worried about is Marlon Mack. This is a stout run defense which has given up the 5th least rushing yards this year. Mack now has back to back games where he ran for under 40 yards. I expect this to be a pass heavy game. There is a chance that T.Y. Hilton is out for this game. He hasn't practiced all week, but is still listed as questionable. Do note that he barely practiced last week, then proceeded to catch 9 balls for 199 yards. If he plays, you start him. Eric Ebron would be the one to benefit if Hilton were to miss this game. Even if he plays, I still like Ebron. He is one of Luck's favorite targets and should continue to see redzone work. The Cowboys haven't been great against the TE this year so I could see Ebron having another top 5 week.
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks: It is a nice matchup for Russell Wilson this week, but I really don't see him having a top 12 performance. I think they will lean on the running game like they have all season. These two teams met a few weeks ago and Wilson only threw 11 completions. He did score 4 touchdowns, but I don't expect that to happen again. I do think Chris Carson is in for a monster game. The 49ers have played the running back fairly well, but this Seahawks team is committed to running the ball. I wouldn't be surprised of Carson hits over 100 yards with 20+ touches. Rashaad Penny will be out this game which gives Mike Davis some flex appeal as he should get a good amount of work as well. I really only like Tyler Lockett out of these pass catchers. I personally dropped Baldwin this week. He is the only one who has constantly produced for this team. He has 9 touchdowns in 13 total games. I like his chances to find the endzone like he did two weeks ago against this team. The 49ers DB's are banged up and Lockett should find success.
San Francisco 49ers: If you need a sneaky play this week, I think Nick Mullens is able to get at least 200 yards and if we are lucky, two touchdowns. In their matchup a few weeks back, He threw for 414 yards and two touchdowns. He now has back to back games with over 300 passing yards. I think the 49ers will need to pass to keep up. I do think Matt Breida returns in this game. He was injured the last time these two teams played, but I still think he will be able to find success due to his work in the passing game. It is a risk play however. It is yet to see if Jeff Wilson Jr. will eat into his workload. He has been great while Breida was out. I like the Mullens/ Dante Pettis stack this week. He now has 4 touchdowns in the last 3 games. Two of those touchdowns came against the Seahawks. He is one of Mullens favorite targets and could be a nice flex play this week. I won't say much on George Kittle because your starting him. Coming off a game where he caught 7 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. It would be hard not to start him.
New England Patriots vs Pittsburgh Steelers
New England Patriots: This is one of my favorite games from this slate. I think this should be a classic high scoring game between the two teams. Tom Brady usually kills fantasy owners at this time of the year, but I think the trend has changed. He has back to back games with over 300 yards. The Steelers are bottom 15 in fantasy points allowed to the QB this season. I think Brady has another huge game here. Sony Michel is one of the 2 players I am concerned about in this matchup. The Steelers have given up the 6th fewest fantasy points to opposing RB this year. Add to the fact that he continues to get vultured in the redzone, it could be a disappointing game. I am still rolling him out as a RB2 in this game. I do like James White in this game as I do expect a ton of passing. We have seen Brady lean on him in shootouts. My favorite WR play would be Julian Edelman. The Steelers can't defend the slot. The have been putting linebackers on the slot WR. If they continue to do so, Edelman is going to feast. He should get peppered with targets as he has been Brady's go to guy the last few weeks. I am worried about Josh Gordon in this game. He should see Joe Haden a ton. He has been a great shutdown corner for the Steelers all year. He does have the skill to overcome this matchup, but I would temper your expectations. I do like Rob Gronkowski a ton in this game. The Steelers have failed to defend the middle of the field. In Gronk's last 4 games against them, he averages 124 yards and a touchdown. Start him up.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Just like I said above this will be a high scoring game. I think Ben Roethlisberger is a nice play. Now he is banged up and that could cause him to be somewhat limited in this game, but the Steelers have great pass catchers. He has multiple touchdowns in 6 of the last 7 games. I like Jaylen Samuels in this game as well. He wasn't able to get much going on the ground last week but he was used heavily in the passing game. Just like James White, pass catching RB should benefit. James Conner may return to action this week. If he does, He needs to be started and it downgrades Samuels. I probably won't start Samuels if he returns. You need to start both Antonio Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster. I do think Juju has the better game in this matchup, but both should ball out. The Patriots are great at taking away the opposing teams top option. It is hard to say which it will be, but my bet will be on Antonio Brown. I also like Vance McDonald as a low end streamer this week. There should be plenty of scoring to go around. He has at least 4 targets in every game since week 9. TE are so hard to come by, so why not start up a guy in a great offense in which should be a high scoring game.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Los Angeles Rams
Philadelphia Eagles: Carson Wentz has been ruled out for this game, leaving Super Bowl hero Nick Foles to take over. It does downgrade the team as a whole for me. I wouldn't really want to start him in this matchup. It is to risky of a play for the fantasy playoffs. Look elsewhere. Josh Adams hasn't been great lately. That may have to do with the return of Darren Sproles. After posting back to back games with over 20 carries, he only ran the ball 7 times last week. He isn't used in the passing game, so I expect Sproles to be the better play here. This team should be trailing most of the game. I do see Foles as a downgrade for Alshon Jeffery. He has not topped 50 yards since week 7 and I don't see it happening on Sunday. He is more of a low-end WR3 in this matchup. Now Golden Tate's matchup isn't any better. The slot corner for the Rams has been great this season. He just may not get the amount of work to give him much fantasy success. Zach Ertz is always a must start and I actually have him as my TE1 this week. He should see a ton of targets and be a focal point of this offense. The Rams haven't been great against opposing TE.
Los Angeles Rams: If you are panicking after last weeks performance, relax. This is a far better matchup for Jared Goff. He will face a team that just allowed Dak Prescott to throw for 455 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Eagles have been one of the worst pass defenses this year. We used to think of the Eagles having a great run defense, but not anymore. Start up Todd Gurley like you would. He should end up as the highest scoring RB this week. If I'm not worried about Goff, I'm defiantly not worried about his pass catchers. I like Robert Woods over Brandin Cooks this week. Honestly it could go either way. They have both been top 15 WR this season and it doesn't stop on Sunday. The Eagles have allowed the second most fantasy points and receiving yards this season. I also like Josh Reynolds in this game. He has seen at least 5 targets since Cooper Kupp was sent to IR. That many targets in a game where I expect Goff to put up huge numbers, is good enough for me.
New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints: I'm not sure what is up with Drew Brees, but he has thrown for only 1 touchdown in back to back games. He also has failed to throw over 202 yards. I couldn't say 200 since he had 201 last week. I do think this is a nice bounce back spot for him. The Panthers have given up the 6th most fantasy points and the 3rd most passing touchdowns this year. I would start him up with confidence. This is a hard matchup for both Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. The Panthers have given up the 5th fewest fantasy points to opposing RB. I do like Kamara as a low-end RB1 due to his work in the passing game. I am worried about Mark Ingram as he should see a dip in carries. I am expecting around 10-12 touches. Against a solid run defense, you are really just hoping for a touchdown. The passing game is where they should attack this defense. That means a bunch of Michael Thomas. This team has allowed opposing WR to score 15 touchdowns in 13 games. He should be played everywhere and is a top 3 play for me this week.
Carolina Panthers: Just like Drew Brees, Cam Newton hasn't been himself. I could see this being a get-right game for both QB. Newton is a little banged up, but I am still rolling him out there this week. He does carry the risk of re-injury. His running game should help keep his floor high this week. I wouldn't be surprised if this turned into a shootout. The stud of the team, Christian McCaffrey, could be in for a difficult day. You still are rolling him out there as he is one of the best backs in the league. The Saints have given up the least amount of rushing yards this year. He is going to need some targets to stay in the RB1 conversation this week. Out of the pass catchers, D.J. Moore draws on of the harder matchups. He may be shadowed by Marshon Lattimore, who has allowed just one touchdown all year. He could avoid this by playing more into the slot. He is a risk play this week, but could have huge upside if Cam gets things rolling. My favorite WR play this week is Curtis Samuel. He has been commanding more and more targets each week. He has 19 targets over the last 2 games and should get the favorable matchup with Eli Apple. As for Ian Thomas, I am not expecting much. The last time I doubted him, he had 9 catches for 77 yards. I think he gets shut down this week. The Saints did allow Cameron Brate to catch 2 TD passes last week, but they have given up the 4th fewest fantasy points all year. Before last week they have only allowed one TE touchdown. He is a low end streamer for me this week.
If you made it this far I thank you! This has taken a lot of time to put together and I think it is one of my better articles. I hope this gives some insight to your players this week. Once again good luck to everyone and I hope we all advance to the Championship!